Demon Lord Honglie's Mansion.
After seeing off the last demon cultivator who came to congratulate him, Ying Jie narrowed his eyes slightly tiredly.
In the past few days, he has been meeting dozens of demon cultivators from various major families who came to congratulate him and establish relationships with him.
It can be said that the threshold is about to be trampled down.
Now, these trivial matters can finally come to an end.
"Once the red clouds rise in Beijing, the flowers bloom again..." Ying Jie murmured.
He was extremely addicted to the feeling of being the center of attention.
Although on the surface he seemed tired of dealing with these people, he was actually enjoying it in his heart.
This was the most exaggerated treatment he had ever experienced.
"However, now that good things are over, it's time to settle old scores." Ying Jie sat on a mahogany chair, tapping the back of the chair with his fingertips, muttering to himself.
He kept repeating a name, "Qing Ge..."
Things are different now.
Now, the difference in status between him and Qingge has created a huge chasm.
Not to mention that Qingge is just a mixed blood, even if he is a pure blood, he would have to retreat when he sees Ying Jie.
After Qing Ge arrived at Jianluo King City, he performed many great feats: he killed thirteen primary-level demon generals in a row, and defeated Feng Tianming and Ling Wu successively.
However, the status enhancement brought by these feats was like a grain of rice competing with the sun and the moon compared to his understanding of the Mangcang battle tactics.
It can be said that now no one in the entire Shi Wu lineage can suppress him anymore.
Even the Demon Lord who killed Wu "went back on his word" and retracted the punishment he had previously promised.
"Logically speaking, given my current status, it would be too petty for me to argue with a mixed-blood son-in-law like you..."
Ying Jie said to himself, his eyes gradually flashing with coldness, "But, I am such a petty person!"
He still clearly remembered the kick that killed Demon Lord Wu.
Although that kick did not cause any substantial injury to him, it made him feel extremely humiliated.
Even though his status has risen now, he is not qualified to seek revenge on Demon Lord Shi Wu.
So he also blamed Qingge for this, and his hatred for Qingge reached an extreme.
He decided to cause trouble for Qingge.
But this time, he was no longer planning to do things secretly like he did before.
He wanted to deal with Qingge openly.
If there is no other way, who would be willing to do bad things in secret?
“However, it’s okay to bully others by taking advantage of your power, but you still need to find a reason.” Ying Jie said secretly in his heart.
He needed a suitable excuse as a starting point to cause trouble for Qingge.
Ying Jie began to ponder, and soon, a piece of information came into his mind.
——Qing Ge brazenly attacked Hei Wu for two little human girls at the Red Fruit Banquet.
In the end, in order to win over Qingge, Chili ignored this matter and personally sent the two human girls to Qingge's mansion.
"Qingge, Qingge, you are really upright." Ying Jie sneered and made up his mind.
…
"Son-in-law, please go and see the young lady." The maid of Mingyue Mansion named Jiaoer looked anxious.
Lu Qingshan stayed indoors for the time being, but others came to him on their own initiative.
"What happened?" He frowned slightly.
Jiao'er looked aggrieved and briefly explained what happened a few days ago.
"Ever since she met the Wu-killing Demon Lord, the young lady has been depressed and locked herself in her room for several days."
Lu Qingshan's heart moved.
He didn't expect that Ying Mingyue would secretly visit Demon Lord Shi Wu again for his sake, and then this incident happened.
"I'll go see her." Lu Qingshan quickly calmed down and said calmly.
"Then I'll trouble you, sir. Perhaps you are the only one who can persuade the young lady now." A hint of joy appeared on Jiao'er's face.
…
Mingyue Mansion.
"Ms. Mingyue, I am Qingge." He whispered outside Ying Mingyue's room.
There was no response at first.
Lu Qingshan didn't say anything else and just waited quietly.
Another moment passed.
"Come in." A slightly haggard voice came from the room.
Lu Qingshan pushed open the door and walked in.
It had only been six or seven days since we last met, but Ying Mingyue looked much worse. He no longer had the heroic spirit and vigor he once had. His cheekbones were sunken and his eyes were dull.
Lu Qingshan was also very surprised when he first saw Ying Mingyue like this.
"If Yingjie saw you like this, I think he would be very proud."
He couldn't help but sigh and said, "It's just a Ying Realm, why would you force yourself to be like this?"
Ying Mingyue shook her head slightly, "It's not entirely because of him...it's more because of my father's attitude."
At this point, she couldn't help but sneer at herself, "I used to think that even though I was a mixed-blood, he loved me very much. Now that I think about it, it's simply because I never fought with pure-bloods for anything..."
Lu Qingshan remained silent.
Ying Mingyue continued to mutter, "Actually, I know all this, otherwise why didn't I fight for it? I just know that if I fought for it, he would definitely not stand on my side, and then his illusion of loving me would be exposed."
"I have been deceiving myself and others..."
"But, this time, I'm not going to fight for anything. You are my future husband, and Yingjie ordered his assassins to kill you. The evidence is irrefutable. I just want to seek justice for you. But even so, my father still doesn't stand on my side."
"It's because Ying Jie has mastered the Mangcang tactics." Ying Mingyue's voice was like crying blood.
"I also see clearly that the status of Ying Jie today is far beyond what it was before. Let alone you, even if Ying Jie wanted to attack and kill me, Demon Lord Shi Wu might not take it seriously." Ying Mingyue had a dejected and miserable look on his face.
Lu Qingshan's eyes flashed slightly.
He noticed that when Ying Mingyue addressed the Demon Lord Shi Wu, he no longer used the word "father".
Obviously, her resentment towards Demon Lord Shi Wu had accumulated to an extremely deep level.
Ying Mingyue recovered and looked at Lu Qingshan, whose expression did not change much, and said bitterly: "He also asked me to pass a message to you, asking you to avoid Yingjie as much as possible in the future. Otherwise, if there is another dispute, you will just have bad luck."
She has completely given up on Demon Lord Shi Wu.
Lu Qingshan looked indifferent, and suddenly asked: "Do you have any evidence that Yingjie ordered the assassins to attack me?"
Ying Mingyue was startled, then nodded slowly, "Yeah."
Immediately, a black jade appeared in her hand and she handed it to Lu Qingshan.
"This is a small list of assassins under Ying Jie. The man who attacked you is on this list," Ying Mingyue explained, "His name is Ying Lou."
Lu Qingshan took the jade slip, probed his spiritual sense into it, and quickly browsed through the information in it.
"Where did this information come from?" Lu Qingshan asked in a deep voice after coming to his senses.
"It came from Chili Prefecture." Ying Mingyue didn't think too much about it.
"Chili Mansion?" Chili's face flashed through Lu Qingshan's mind, and he sneered in his heart.
He really has a "good heart"!
"I'll keep this black jade here for now," he said.
Ying Mingyue was puzzled and said: "In this situation, this information is no longer of much significance."
Their current predicament is not due to a lack of evidence, but because of the huge gap in status.
"That's not necessarily true," Lu Qingshan looked deeply at Ying Mingyue, who had a gloomy face, and suddenly said, "Maybe, soon, I will be able to get back at her."
During the few days he stayed indoors in his mansion, he figured out some very important things and his mind gradually became more active.
Ying Mingyue's eyes widened when she heard this. She looked at Lu Qingshan and said subconsciously, "How is this possible? Given the current situation, how can we defeat Ying Jie?"
Lu Qingshan nodded affirmatively, "I am certain about it."
In fact, he was very confident, but it was not a 100% success after all, so he didn't say too much.
"Just wait a few more days and we'll see." Lu Qingshan said this and left with Mo Yu in Ying Mingyue's puzzled eyes.
After he left, Ying Mingyue stood there in a daze for a long time, and finally, a strange light suddenly appeared in her eyes.
That is the radiance of hope.
She knew very well that with the current momentum of the Ying Realm, it would be very difficult for Qingge to get back at the throne.
But the tone and look in Lu Qingshan's eyes just now made her unconsciously believe what Lu Qingshan said in her heart.
"Will he really have a way?" Ying Mingyue murmured, feeling anticipation in her heart.
…
It never rains but it pours.
Just after leaving Mingyue Mansion and returning to his own residence, Lu Qingshan received another piece of bad news.
"The Demon Lord of Ying Realm claimed that the first and fifteenth were blood food that he had ordered from His Highness Chili a long time ago, and was going to use them to feed his magic beasts. However, His Highness Chili forgot about it and gave them to you..."
The housekeeper wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his head and said with difficulty: "So, he suddenly remembered this matter now, and directly asked you for these two human girls without going through His Highness Chi Li..."
Lu Qingshan's face darkened and he narrowed his eyes slightly.
Not to mention that he is a human swordsman, he would never do such a cruel and inhumane thing as sending a human girl to Yingjie to feed the monsters.
Even if he is really Qing Ge, Yingjie's move is equivalent to a slap in the face and embarrass him.
"Your Highness, why don't we send these two human girls over first," the branch steward said carefully, "They are just two human girls anyway, it's nothing to Your Highness."
"The status of the Demon Lord of Yingjie is so noble now... It's not good to offend him again."
Which is more important, face or life? It's obvious which one is more important.
He was afraid that Qing Ge was young and hot-headed and would not let go of his face and would have to confront Ying Jie head-on.
In this situation, the reason why he took the initiative to persuade Qingge was to give Qingge a way out - "I" was not prepared to give in at first, but because you kept persuading me, I reluctantly agreed.
The Zhipan people are experienced and have a keen eye.
Lu Qingshan was unmoved, with a cold air that kept strangers away from him. "In my Qingge's note, there is no mention of groveling."
"Now that this person is in my hands, I will definitely not give him to you."
"Your Highness, but..." Butler Zhipan was extremely embarrassed.
"No need to say more." Lu Qingshan said coldly and turned away.
Looking at Lu Qingshan's back, Zhipan Butler stood there for a long time, and finally couldn't help but sighed heavily, "Alas!"
This situation is not good.
Ying Jie is now the most popular person in the royal city and the future leader of the Shi Wu lineage. The fact that his master has such a grudge against him makes him feel uneasy no matter how he thinks about it.
…
Lu Qingshan had been thinking about the situation in the room for less than half a quarter of an hour when housekeeper Zhi Pan appeared again.
"Your Highness Qingge, Your Highness Chili is here to visit you and is waiting for you in the conference room. He said he has something important to discuss." Manager Zhipan said outside the door.
"Chi Li is looking for me?" Lu Qingshan's eyes changed slightly. He was not sure what Chi Li's purpose was in visiting him at this time.
Good thing?
impossible.
At least Lu Qingshan didn't believe it.
From his action of sending that information to Ying Mingyue, Ying Mingyue didn't think much about it, but Lu Qingshan could see through Chi Li's ill intentions at a glance.
"Then let's meet him and see what kind of people he is." Lu Qingshan said to himself.
…
Meeting room.
"Your Highness Chi Li." Lu Qingshan walked in with a smile on his face and greeted him.
Chi Li was sipping his tea leisurely. When he saw Qing Ge come in, he just nodded slightly in return.
"Your Highness Chi Li, what brings you here today?" Lu Qingshan sat down and asked.
"I heard that Yingjie asked you for those two human girls." Chi Li said straight to the point.
"It's obvious that his real purpose is to cause trouble for you, and his request for the human girl is just a lie."
Lu Qingshan was silent.
"What Yingjie said about having reserved those two human girls from me is pure nonsense. It has never happened before. He just made it up."
Chi Li was not in a hurry. He took a sip of tea and continued, "He just concluded that he is now of a high status and I can't possibly expose his lies. That's why he dares to be so fearless."
Lu Qingshan also knew this, but...
"Your Highness, are you going to stand up for me?" he asked with a frown.
Chi Li came to visit him specially, definitely not just to talk to him about these irrelevant nonsense.
The intention to stand up for him revealed in his words was obvious.
But there is no free lunch in the world, and Lu Qingshan doesn't think Chi Li would be so kind.
Chi Li was not embarrassed, he nodded slightly and chuckled, "It's not impossible to stand up for you, but I need something in return."
"Your Highness, what does this mean?" Lu Qingshan's eyes flickered.
"I am very optimistic about your talent, and I am also optimistic that you will inherit the Senluo King Realm in the future," Chi Li said with a smile, "I am willing to help you overcome the current difficulties and help you solve the problem of mixed blood."
"It's just that I've given so much, so it can't be for nothing."
"If I can control the Senluo Kingdom in the future, I will repay Your Highness tenfold for all the resources he has invested in the process. And if Your Highness needs anything, Qingge promises that he will do his best to help Your Highness regardless of gains and losses." Lu Qingshan continued.
In the future? Not to mention the Senluo King Realm, even the people there won’t be there by then.
So, he spoke without any pressure and put forward his conditions.
"It's not uncommon to see people crossing a bridge and then demolishing it," Chi Li shook his head calmly and said with a smile, "It's not that I don't trust you, but for such a big thing, it's too hasty to just rely on verbal promises."
"If I pay a lot, support you, deal with Yingjie, and do my best to help you take the position of the master of the realm, and you go back on your words, won't I lose everything?"
"Then what does Your Highness want?" Lu Qingshan roughly guessed Chi Li's intention.
A jade box appeared in Chi Li's hand.
He opened the jade box, and a blood-red insect as translucent as agate appeared in front of Lu Qingshan.
"Is this... a blood-eating worm?" Lu Qingshan, who had made up for his common knowledge about the demon clan, recognized it at a glance.
Chi Li nodded. "The blood-eating worm naturally contains a strange toxin, and only the blood sunflower that accompanies it can detoxify it. Once this toxin seeps into your body, your blood will be polluted, and our demon clan's cultivation system is based on blood. Therefore, once you are infected with the blood-eating worm's toxin, you can only advance to the eighth level at most, and your cultivation will stagnate. Unless I give you the blood sunflower, you will definitely not be able to improve any further."
"As long as you are willing to let go of your defense and let me put this blood-eating worm into your body, I will help you unconditionally." Chi Li said calmly.
Lu Qingshan's expression turned gloomy, "Your Highness, are you going to stop me from practicing?"
Chi Li shook his head, "That's not what I meant.
First of all, the blood-eating worm's poison will only take effect when you reach the eighth level.
In other words, this means that I will at least provide resources to help you advance to the eighth level, otherwise the blood-eating worm poison will be in vain.
You can see my sincerity from this.
You know, to help a mixed-blood advance to the eighth level, the resources required will be a huge number, I think you are also very clear about this.
Moreover, you are now being targeted by the Ying Realm. If I want to help you, I will have to pay even more.
In addition, the eighth level realm is already enough for you to compete for the position of the realm master's successor.
You don't have to think too much. When your position as the successor to the Lord of the Realm is confirmed, once I confirm that you will not destroy your bridges after crossing the river, I promise that I will immediately give you the blood sunflower to detoxify you.
In short, this blood-eating worm is just an insurance policy I took out for myself.
If you don't have the intention to burn your bridges, you don't have to worry at all."
Chi Li stared at Lu Qingshan's face and asked, "What do you think?"
Haha, I don’t believe you.
Lu Qingshan sneered in his heart.
It sounds good to say, but when the time comes, with the handle in Chi Li's hands, won't "Qing Ge" be at his mercy?
Chi Li's conditions were extremely excessive and outrageous.
Under normal circumstances, he would definitely not do such an extreme thing.
But he is now certain that the conflict between Yingjie and "Qingge" will intensify, and "Qingge" will be in an embarrassing situation of being isolated and helpless.
Chi Li wanted to take advantage of the fact that Qing Ge was unable to withstand Ying Jie and force him to accept these harsh conditions.
Blatantly taking advantage of someone's misfortune.
Although Lu Qingshan was disdainful in his heart, he did not forget to pretend on the surface.
His expression kept changing, as if he was struggling and thinking.
Chili is idle and neat but has flaws.
He didn't urge Lu Qingshan to make a decision and looked very leisurely.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. It's just that Qingge is not used to having bugs and other things in his body. It's creepy. I have no choice but to refuse your kindness." After pondering for a moment, Lu Qingshan finally "difficultly" said to refuse.
If Chi Li wanted him to promise to give up all the resources and interests of the Senluo Kingdom in the future, he really didn't care.
Anyway, he will just leave when the time comes. If Chi Li wants to pay, he can go to Huangquan to ask Qing Ge for it.
However, the conditions proposed by Chi Li now were directed at him personally, which Lu Qingshan absolutely could not accept.
That’s right, the cultivation system of the human race is different from that of the demon race. It is not based on blood. The blood-eating worms seem to have no effect on him.
But who knows if there may be any hidden dangers?
No one has tried it, so no one can guarantee it.
Besides, didn’t the Blood Spirit Crystal, a rare item from the abyss, also help him achieve Shihua’s ultimate breakthrough?
The possibility of blood-eating worms posing a threat to human monks is high.
Besides, who knows whether the blood-eating worm that Chi Li took out is just a simple blood-eating worm.
What if there are other tricks and designs?
Lu Qingshan doesn't believe in Chi Li's character.
In short, he would not take the risk of being controlled by others, and he would not dare to put the poisonous insects of the demon clan into his body.
Chi Li, who felt that he had a chance to win, suddenly froze in his smile.
After a long while, he came back to his senses and reminded: "This move by Yingjie is just the beginning. Today he asked you for two human girls. If you give them to him, he will ask you for the Blood God Sand Mine tomorrow... There is no end. But if you don't give them to him, he will use this as an excuse to cause trouble for you."
"If no one speaks up for you, you won't be able to deal with this kind of targeting."
"In the royal city, there are not many people who can speak in front of Yingjie at this time," Chi Li advised, "I should be the most sincere among these few people."
"Would you like to think about it again?"
"That's true. Qingge is very grateful for your kindness, but Qingge really cannot accept your condition." Lu Qingshan said lightly.
Chi Li's expression changed and he sat in his seat, not knowing what he was thinking.
Finally, he stood up angrily and swung his sleeves violently, "Since you are unwilling to accept this condition, I have nothing more to say. Your Highness will take his leave first."
"However," Chi Li paused before turning around and leaving, adding in a cold voice: "I am still willing to give you a chance. If you regret your decision today after a while, you can come to me again, and my conditions today will still be valid."
He believed that the reason why Qingge rejected him today was because Qingge had not yet reached a desperate situation.
The situation isn't bad enough.
He came too early.
As Yingjie continues to exert his strength, Qingge will sooner or later agree to his conditions.
After all, Qingge had already shown a very hesitant attitude when faced with his conditions.
"I remember," Lu Qingshan nodded and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness Chi Li."
"Hmph!" Chi Li snorted coldly, turned around and left with a little dissatisfaction.
…
"Yingjie!" After Chi Li left, Lu Qingshan shouted in a low voice.
He was filled with murderous intent, so cold that it chilled the entire hall.
"Do you really think there's nothing I can do?"
Everyone thought that facing the oppression of the Ying Realm, he was just an ant, a bug, unable to resist.
"You all think that I can't solve this game by myself, right?"
There was a cold light in his eyes. "Then we'll see."
Lu Qingshan is waiting for the opportunity to make a comeback.
It won’t be too far.